SMITH WRAPS IT UP | Bikesportnz

Even when he loses a tyre, there’s no stopping Yamaha ace Adrian Smith.

It was the first of many boxes checked off for the man from Mokau when he took his Blackwood BikesportNZ.com Yamaha YZ250 to wrap up the Bel Ray Cross-country Championships series near Huntly at the weekend.

With several major titles in his sights this season, the double national champion in 2012 is looking to go even better in 2013 and, even with his bike shedding a tyre near the end of the race at the third and final round of the Bel Ray series on Saturday, it was not enough to derail him in his quest for glory.

“I led the first few laps and then Raglan’s Jason Dickey (Kawasaki KX250F) passed me,” Smith explained.

“I came into the pits two laps before he did and he opened up a gap on me, stretching it out to about two minutes ahead of me.

“Then, in the last two laps, I pulled him back in and passed him 1km from the finish. Then, in sight of the finish line, my tyre came off the rim, letting Jason pass for the win. I won the series by one point over Jason Dickey, although he obviously won the day.”

In addition to winning the series outright, 2012 national cross-country and enduro champion Smith won his battle-within-a-battle for class honours, winning the Pro Over class by 10 points from Te Awamutu’s Mark Penny (Suzuki RM-X450).

Smith is now on his way to Te Anau to begin his national cross-country title defence. The opening round of this four-round series is set for steep Southland hill country this Sunday, with rounds to follow in Taranaki (on March 16), Christchurch (April 21) and, finally, it wraps up in Hawke’s Bay on May 18.

The Yamaha hero has been extremely busy over the past few weeks.

He raced his way to a solid runner-up finish and class win at the opening round of eight in the New Zealand Enduro Championships at Oparau, near Kawhia, just a fortnight ago.

Smith also finished 3-1 at the first two rounds of three in the Taranaki Cross-country Championships and this puts him in prime position to wrap up that title at the third and final round of that series at Purangi, near Inglewood, next month.

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